Rwanda improves in FIFA World rankings

RWANDA has gone up the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings to 120th, five places better than last month, and is currently ranked 35th in Africa according to the latest rankings released in Zurich on Wednesday.

Friday, September 07, 2012

RWANDA has gone up the FIFA/Coca Cola World rankings to 120th, five places better than last month, and is currently ranked 35th in Africa according to the latest rankings released in Zurich on Wednesday.After an appalling display in June where the Amavubi lost to Algeria 4-0 in the opening game of the 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifier, a series of losses in build-up games against Libya (2-0), Tunisia (5-0) and a draw against Chad (1-1) did not help matters.The Amavubi went on to lose to Nigeria 2-0 and a draw in Porto Novo against hosts Benin ended a fight to qualify for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations due in South Africa.In the CECAFA region, Uganda is ranked highest after maintaining the 88th position having recently drawn with Botswana in a friendly last weekend and maintains 23rd position on the African continent.Sudan is ranked second in the CECAFA region, in 103rd position and in 27th position on the African continent, with Ethiopia following in 114th position worldwide and 32nd in Africa.Kenya which has been struggling lately have improved by one position to 125th, and is ranked 37th on the African continent.Tanzania and Burundi are ranked 132nd and 134th in the world rankings and 40th and 42nd on the continent, respectively, while Eritrea has gone up two places to 185th and 46th in Africa.  Djibouti is ranked 196th in the world and 51st in Africa.Côte d’Ivoire remains Africa’s highest ranked maintaining a 16th position, while Ghana (31st), Mali (32nd), Libya (36th), Egypt (38th) and Tunisia (41st) follow.  The reigning African champions Zambia are currently in 42nd position in the world while newcomers South Sudan have moved up two places to 197th after their first game – a draw against Uganda in a friendly match in Juba in July.